April i, 1892.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
703 
for Bcme time ‘ in the oven to warm,’ that is to eaj, 
it was a strong decoction of tea leaves to which time 
had been given to extract all the tannin, and whicli 
had then been re-warmod. It was then drunk without 
milk, that is toaaj, the tannin Wits not converted into a 
relativo harmlesn altmtninous tanuate by the addition 
of milk. It is precisely because our Kogiish method 
of ‘ making tea’ from such infunion of tannin as well as 
of theine that tea is fo injarious to the digestion, 
and aa in this case, when taken in unnusual 
strength into an empty n'oraaoh, and without 
milk, become an irritant poison. No people who know 
how to make tea use milk with it— noiiher the Chinese 
northe Japanese; but then tho hoi water (nol boil- 
ing !) is poured on to and olT the leaves at table, and 
as Soon as the liquor becomes of a pale straw co’our. 
The pot is always a simiU China one, and the hot wa'er 
kettle Is b'^onght alongside it on to table. Half a 
minute suffices for the first infuAion. It is n very 
grateful and rifret-hing b« ve age this ‘ honourable tea* 
which one sips at fri qiietit intervalH in the Far Kaat; 
but of course it would be, and is, insipid and not 
worth driukiog if its flavour bo drowned by sugar and 
milk. No people in the world drink ro much tea or 
BO often as the Japanese, and Kuropeans in Japan 
easily fall iitto the same habit. No doubt is ever 
heard of it being injurioUB or a .source of indigestion, 
that is because ilvy takc^ caro not to extract the tan- 
nin from the tea loaves, and wo take great care to do 
so. That is why we^ay pereons who Jive on tea and 
bread-and-butter have weak digestions, and why this 
poor boy was poisoned." 
A flneiety writer in a weekly paper jerks off those 
sentences auent ihis question. “ Am not a judge of tea, 
and aM every one was drinking it and discussing it 
with"], just as if it wore S3»no delicate brand of to- 
bacco or famous vintoge of champagne, aat quiet and 
learned a bit as to the respective merits of ludion and 
Oliina teas. The argunieut wax* d hot, but as a careful 
listener, am bound to say that after all whs said and 
d ne, it avcfURti to me very much as if all the boasted 
flavour and strength of the rival plants, very much 
depended on the way it was made. One authonty laid 
down the law that on no account was Ohiou tea, which 
beproolairaod the best, to be.aliowed to ‘draw,’ end 
that a * cosy’ on ^ tho tea-pot turned it into a 
strong pedsou. This woul«l be flat heresy to my 
housekfeper, who rather fancies horstdf as a tea 
maker, her idea is to pour in the boiling water, 
pop on the cosy and let tho concoction stand. I 
have not tasted her brew often, but it certainly struck 
me as strong. I supposo the most harmless way of 
making tea is thatpraoUsod by the Itussiens who give 
you a pale, straw-coloured beverage in tiny cups. My 
only use for tea is in the summer, whou, if it is iced 
With a lump of sugar and a Urge slice of lemon, it 
IS delioiouH after tennis, a ride or a row.” There is 
no doubt that tea is %>ar excellence tho fin de slide 
beverage. High and low, rich and poor, all who 
aspire to be respectable, turn to the toa-pol for such 
ooniolation as liquor can afford, and tho consumption 
moreasos, and prices keep at a fnir level in spite of 
mereased production.— J/arfras Times^ Feb. 4 th. 
TWO NEW YANKEE INVENTIONS. 
KAMIE AND EACTITIS. 
In the acientmc chronicle of the America 
'Quarterly Catholic Review ig an account of tw 
remarkable inventioug, of which we shall hea 
something more in this country before long. On 
IS uie uso of ramie fibre as a material for tli 
nanufactiire of steam pipes. Tlie pipe is mad 
ont of ramie fibre, and tlien subjected to 
pressure. Under th 
arau ’? It heooiues two a.id a half times as stror 
will n^V remaining oomimratively light, 
leak T* moisture, and consoqueiitly will n. 
rust- "or rot, ii< 
anothe^in^'?'' ground this 
and' stee R ''ajuable property sadly lacking in ire 
reel- Eamie is a iiou-cyuduotQr of heat, Mon 
over, ramie, in tills hardened condition, is sufficiently 
incombustihlo to make it safe for use in steampipcs. 
Still more remarkable is tlio otlier discovery 
wliich is announced in the same chronicle, which 
is to tile effect tliat artificial ivory is to he made, 
in tlio future, out of milk : — 
Tho milk is first coagulated as in the process of 
making cheese. This is tlion strained and the whey 
rejected. Ten pounds of the curd is taken and 
mixed with a solution of three pounds of borax in 
three quarts of water. This mixture is now placed 
in a suitable vessel over a slow fire, oud loft , there 
till it separates into two parts, the one as thin as 
water, tlie other rather thicker, somewdiat resetiibUng 
melted gelatine. The watey part is next drawn off 
and to the residue is nddod a solution of one pound 
of a mineral salt in tliree points of water. iUmoat 
any miiioral salt will answer ; for example, sugar of 
load, cojiporas, blue or wliite vitriol. This brings 
about another separation of tlio mass into a liqmd 
and a imisliy solid. The liquid is again got rid of 
by straining, or better, by filtering. At this point, 
if desired, colouring matter may bo added ; if not, 
tlie final product will be white. The solid is now 
subjected to lieavy pressure in moulds of any de- 
sired shape, and aftei-wards dried under very great 
heat. Tlio resulting product, which has been named 
“laotitis," is very hard and strong. It maybe used 
ill the manufacture of a great variety of articles, 
such as combs, liilliard baUa, knife handles, penhold- 
ers — in tine, for almost anything for which bone, 
ivory, ebonite, or oolliiloid have heretofore been 
employed . — Jteriew of Reviews. 
INTEBESTINO NOTES FROM THE 
BAHAMAS. 
iVo extract the following from the proceedings 
of tlie Massacliusetts Horticultural Sooioty; 
On landing at Nassau one was beset by beggars, 
who, liowever, form but a snialh proportion of the 
whole population. Tho native negroes are not lazy, 
if proper incentive is pvon for exertion. A contractor 
for canning fruit said that if they understand their 
tasks they do them as well as anybody; hut they 
liave to pare one hundred pineapples to earn three 
cents, and one tlionsand is a day's work. 
Colonel Wilson was especially interested in the 
vegetation and horticultural products. Tho principal 
growth is acacias, of whicli there are a great variety. 
The Royal palm forms a most stately tree. The 
Banyan grows in porfoction in the cost part of the 
group. 'I'he Coconut palm tluivos as well as in any 
part of the world and this is tlie only district near 
to tlio United States where it certainly will. They 
will bear in four years from planting the seed and 
then fruit poronnially, a frond expanding every month, 
with a cluster of flowers at the base which produces 
from forty to sixty nuts. They keep growing the 
whole year and sliow at all times the whole gamut 
from flower to ripe fruit ; every day the owner can 
pick fruit, which sell there for three cents apiece. 
Clio of tlie most remarkable trees Is tho Bombax 
Ceiba or Bilk Cotton tree, which braces itself in 
tho rocky soil by eiiornioiia buttresses thrown out 
from tho stem. 
To understand the agriculture of the islands one 
must know the conditions of the soil. The people 
have no idea of anything but limestone, and there 
is not a plow and hardly a spade in the islands; 
tlie iniplonientH used in gardening are a crowbar, a 
slodgo hammer and a pickaxe. In a disused quarry 
tho refuse forms, after tlio pulverizing proces has 
gone on for a long time, aud the roBulting soil has 
been mixed witli vegetable mould, a good soil for 
bananas, pineapples, etc. Tlie only exports are 
sponges, pineapples and Sisal hemp, the latter pro- 
duced from n species of agave, hormeily oranges 
were exported, but this hns_ ceased and wonderfully 
fine ones wore bought for fifty cents per liundred. 
Tlio pineapples are grown mostly on the Island of 
Eleuthera. The pineapple industry is very interest- 
ing. Only tlio red soil will produce a profitable crop 
of this fruit, though they can bo grown in the 
